Its Easy Being Green

Though it is not always what people consider when building or buying a house, the environmental, health, and economic benefits of a green home are huge.

The world is starting to realise the need for sustainability, and green building is a big part of that. During the process of green building, designers, engineers and builders all work to ensure that a building, in every part of its life cycle from construction to operation, is environmentally responsible. This is something you, or anybody, could be a part of – building a green home instead of buying an old one will save time, energy, money, and the environment in the long run. Building a green home could save you on your taxes: many governments, recognising the need for sustainable homes, are offering incentives for seeing them built.

The environmental benefits

A lot of waste is created when building anything, but a green home building project seeks to minimise that waste. In fact, it seeks to minimise a house’s impact on the environment in general, by using recycled materials whenever possible and making sure all the space used is used for a reason. Green homes work in harmony with the environment, rather than just being built on top of it. The ecosystems of the surrounding area will be protected, and no natural resources will be wasted or destroyed in the process of building the house.

Perhaps most importantly, green homes are designed to use less non-renewable energy and water than the average house. This means that year after year, the carbon footprint of a green home is much less than the average. Green homes are also built to last, so less energy is used renovating or repairing them. The idea is not only to save resources whilst building the house, but to make sure those resources continue to be saved as time goes on.

The health benefits

Although people don’t always like to think about the hidden health hazards in their home, they are very much there – multiple volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are involved in the building of a house, and often they can linger for a very long time. Green houses avoid the use of VOCs as much as possible – even products such as paint can have harmful qualities, but a green home will seek to minimise the risk of these as much as possible.

Green houses are also built with good ventilation systems to ensure high air quality, making sure that if any toxins do get into the house they don’t stay there for long. These air systems also keep the temperature in the house consistent, comfortable and healthy.

The economic benefits

As previously mentioned, many governments offer incentives – tax rebates, for example – for green homes. Contact your local government office if you’re ever unsure, and see what they can offer you.

But even that’s not the only way you could save on money: living in a green home, your electricity and heating bills will inevitably be shorter due to the sheer efficiency of what you already have- and some green homes even have inbuilt facilities to collect rainwater, meaning you could save on water expenses as well. A green home is also unlikely to need the level of repairs and maintenance that a regular house would, as it’s built with durability in mind.

Green homes are also considered a very good investment for the future, generally selling for more than regular houses and attracting attention from people wishing to ‘go green’. Living in a green house, as well as saving you money in day-to-day life, could provide rewards for you further down the line.

The social benefits

A green house is a good addition to a neighbourhood – it’s rarely if ever going to have inconvenient repair work done on it, and thanks to the triple-paned windows noise is unlikely to travel in or out. People living in green houses are very likely to see all aspects of their lives improved – their health, their bank balance – so it’s not surprising that people see their social lives improving too. A green house is usually more comfortable than the average building due to the better insulation – host a party, and see what your guests think.

If you can, there’s really no excuse not to ‘go green’. Not only does it save money, it helps save the environment too – it’s one of the best investments for the future that you can make.